Nashville Predators forward Gustav Nyquist will reportedly not play in Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders for trade-related reasons, per Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.
Hearing Gustav Nyquist will not play this afternoon for Nashville on Long Island.
Health protection for trade.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 1, 2025
Friedman also reported that the Minnesota Wild are “one of the most aggressive pursuers” for Nyquist, but other teams are competing. The team would not confirm Nyquist’s availability for Saturday’s game until the start of warmups at 11 a.m. CT.
Nyquist is one of the more obvious trade pieces for Nashville ahead of this year’s March 7 deadline. He’s in the final season of a two-year, $6.37MM contract signed with the Predators in 2023.
Nyquist is only one season removed from a career year in 2023-24, when he scored 23 goals and 75 points in 81 games during his first season with the Predators. His scoring output has taken a dip this year (nine goals and 21 points in 51 games), as has that of the majority of his Predators teammates in 2024-25, but his trade value is still high considering his versatility as a top- or middle-six winger who can play both sides of the ice.
Following the Predators’ home win over the Winnipeg Jets Thursday, Nyquist acknowledged the likelihood that he would be traded by the deadline given that Nashville is no longer competing for a playoff spot this year.
“Obviously in the position we’re in, we’ve kind of put ourselves in that position,” Nyquist said. “I get it. I’ve been a part of it before. It’s part of business. So we’ll see what happens.”
According to Nashville’s roster report for Saturday’s game on Long Island, forward Jake Lucchini and defenseman Spencer Stastney have been recalled from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Additionally, captain Roman Josi (upper-body) has been placed on IR.